I just found this funny photo clicked of me after our Pune- Mangao ride!

I was almost dead till lunch arrived! This was taken at Mangao on NH 17 on the way to Diveagar. I never made it to Diveagar. In fact, I never made it beyond 100 metres after this place were we lunched.

The wounded ego of the male cyclists when a female cyclist overtakes him...

Whenever I'm cruising around on my bike, enjoying the ride, I always encounter a few men with their single speed bikes riding comfortably without a care in the world. I invariably end up overtaking them and move ahead quickly.

And then in a few seconds, I see something whiz past me. Its the same men whom I recently overtook, having had their pride hurt and their desire to prove a point to me. They seldom look back, but they seem to be saying 'Now who's faster, bitch! dare you overtake the almighty race again!' Suddenly their posture is much more aggressive and frantic. I can sense their willpower stretching them to the limits where even their veins are about to burst.

What they don't seem to understand is, that somewhere deep down, even though I am a woman (ok... girl) I have an ego too... and 21 gears on my bike! I just switch over to the highest and overtake them without breaking into a sweat!

How do I make them understand that there is no need to dispel all that energy just to soothe their hurt ego and make me feel lowly, because I have the advantage of advanced technology and I just need a third of the effort made by them to move ahead? How do I tell these men that no matter how hard they try, I'll overtake them eventually? And then what will they do... beat their wives when they reach home?

I'll admit that given the situation where I was riding a single speed bike like theirs, I wouldn't be able to overtake these men in a race for gender supremacy... But hey, I'll give them a fight till the end!

The need to upgrade

I have been thinking about it, and by the end of this year, i want to get a new cycle. And probably a red one this time. I wouldn't mind buying extra locks for it, but I want to get a flashy and expensive bike because such bikes are comfortable too. Especially for longer rides on rough roads.

So thats the top priority!

The next project...

Will be to paint my bike! any design suggestions?

me (2010) Vs. me (1992)

me (2010) Vs. me (1992)
Originally uploaded by DraconianRain

Pooja clicked this picture for me, and I remembered that my mother had clicked a picture of me on my bike back in 1992. I was 8 years old, and I had a little bike. It was small and nice, and I've had many many good times and accidents on it. comparing these two pictures I realised that my face hasn't changed a bit since then... thats the only thing that hasn't changed, though...

The new photo was clicked by my friend Pooja two days ago in Narayan Peth, Pune while the old one was clicked just off the town of Suratgarh in Rajasthan in the second half of 1992.

my first century ride...

my first century ride...
Originally uploaded by DraconianRain

9 hours, uphill climbs and blissful downhill paths, some breathtaking views, harsh sun, bad roads, a few chocolates, many litres of water and 120 kms later, we reached Mangao from Pune via Tamhini. the plan was to reach Diveagar that evening, but I exhausted all my energy reserves. Managed to reach Mangao, only to see off Ankur and Aditya continuing on their Konkan cycling tour before I and my bicycle caught the next bus to Pune. Reached home safely, a bit tired and very sad for not being able to ride all the way to Diveagar… quite a day... The first day of November two thousand and nine A.D

Yeeeeeeeehhhaaaaaaaa!!!!

Yeeeeeeeehhhaaaaaaaa!!!!
Originally uploaded by DraconianRain

gets me back to those times... I had that old ladies cycle. and I would ride around the park without hands... and I fell, got hurt... and did it all over again...
So I took a 'look ma no hands' shot for the first time... worked! I guess I'm better at it now... until I fall with my camera